Jenny | Big Family Small Farm
On this Monday, February 18, the Feast of St Bernadette Soubirous, I am…
Thanking God the Father for
::a weekend away with my three closest friends
::a new commitment to prayer and fasting
::seeing my husband and children after being away for 44 hours
::Leo being such a cooperative guy at our weekend away
::girlfriends who love on the only guy allowed at the lake house
::staying in my pajamas ALL day Saturday
Listening to
I am typing this on Sunday night, so I hear a shower running…washing a day’s worth of play off my boy. I hear Bernadette humming as she cleans up the kitchen and Leo and Anna playing together before bed.
Pondering
I am pondering how hard it is to live in this age of so much technology that is touted as a necessary. I pray my children will look back on their childhood and appreciate the fact that we tried to keep it simple. My children do not have Facebook. Chris and I do not have Facebook. (Suscipio does for posting purposes only.) We do not text, our phones don’t even have the ability to text. We do have a couple of ipods floating around here, but that is the extent of of i-things. I do not mention this to say “look at us.” I mention it strictly as a fact of our life.
I am not saying these things are necessarily a bad, but I question if they are more of a distraction than they are worth. Does being more connected, mean people are less connected with the people right in front of their face? Does the ability to be so connected with everyone leave any room to be connected with our Lord? And if life is constantly thought in narrative form so we can post about it, does life ever enter meditative form?
Reading
Hallowed Be This House: Finding Signs of Heaven in Your Home
The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Way of Trust and Love – A Retreat Guided By St. Therese of Lisieux
Lectio Divina and the Practice of Teresian Prayer
Wandering Around the Web
Easy Cheesy Hot Bean Dip
Garden Planning/Planting Printables
Teach Your Children Mental Prayer
Captured
The winner of the St Valentine Giveaway is Rebecca Witt. Please email me Rebecca so I can get these books to you.
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by Fr Jacques Philippe.
The whole technology thing? It’s a conundrum. Consider that the world at large is totally wired, and kids grow up and will need to find their way and eventually work in that world. That means they need to know how to use a computer, a wide variety of processing programs, hand held devices, etc. Not just a casual knowledge, but they need to know how to use them well, as early as high school. Several of the boys’ classes are ‘electronic’ – that is, assignments are administered and delivered online; books are e-books; grades, homework, lecture notes are all delivered by email!
The Catholic middle school DirtBike goes to has an archaic “no calculator” policy. All kids from there have to go to a short half day orientation before starting at the Catholic high school to learn how to use a graphing calculator, because they weren’t taught in middle school! They hit the ground running in high school engineering, science and math classes, and that graphing calculator is a must.
Jenny, we all say “Just a Minute”! I try to keep on track by following up with which ever kid I told to “hold on a sec”. Sometimes, they really do need to wait, though, especially if they’re asking me to sign something when I’m up to my elbows in dishwater!
Angela Pea recently posted..Sweet Shot Tuesday – February 19
This is very well said. Thank you.
“Does the ability to be so connected with everyone leave any room to be connected with our Lord?” — definitely a must-consider point, Jenny. Thanks for that. Have to frequently keep in mind that connecting with other people should bring us closer to connecting well with God.
‘Love the photo of the chicken house. Your dog is just as involved as the kids
Marcia recently posted..Catholic Women’s Almanac, No. 10
Good Morning Marcia. I struggle with the “Just a Minute” when I am busy with something else. I feel like some days that’s all I tell my kids, “Just a minute,” when in reality, I should be telling something else to wait so I can connect with my children.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Some of the technology is fun and honestly it streamlines a lot of things.
No more CD’s, no more bulky desktop, 1×1 mp3 player on a run is nice, quick texting to my husband, sister, and friends is fun.
And
too much can be a bad thing..moderation. I think of the Screwtape Letters…noise to drown out the prayer. Moderation.
The pup is getting big already!
Enjoy your week!
I agree so much of what we have now does streamline, but it is such a temptation to waste time or mentally leave the ones you’re with to zone out on a hand held device.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Jenny, I’ve been pondering this age of technology and all it’s complexities since I started blogging. With you, I’ve often questioned that while it is good in so many ways, is it taking me from being more connected where I should be connected..both spiritually and physically ?
Love the chicken coop picture…: )
Blessings for a beautiful week. +
Caroline recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac
Hi Caroline. Not only do I frequently ponder this for myself, but my children. Wow, the pressure is really on for each child to have his own ____. I’m like, really?? They’re only kids, leave them alone!
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Chickens! Fun!
Erica S. recently posted..The break has ended and Catholic Woman’s Almanac
Jeannine was asking about sharing recipes etc on my blog. I wanted to let the gals know I started the Nutrition section of my blog. Feel free to comment and share!
Blessings.
I tried to post this several times….and I hope this doesn’t show up a bunch of times. Sorry Jenny if it does!
MMMMmmmm. Can’t wait to peek over at your recipes.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Jenny — “Washing a day’s worth of play off my boy” — a gift for words. Lovely.
I just joined facebook and week or two ago and am finding it overwhelming and, um, just strange! I thought it had become a necessity, but I am seriously doubting that now.
Gotta go see the people “in front of my face” now, to quote a bright woman!
Jeannine recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac
I can whole heartedly tell you Facebook is not a necessity in life. If someone tells me they can only connect with or keep up with me through Facebook, that is a huge red flag of their level of personal commitment in my life.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Thanks for linking to my post on teaching kids to pray! I think too much digital media can hurt our ability to pray, so that is one reason my kids are not connected in any way. They’re still little, but some of their young cousins have ipads and cellphones. We have a “dumb phone” that is just for necessities, I have never texted in my life. But I have been using a lot of social media lately related to my blog. It’s always a challenge not to overdo it.
Connie Rossini recently posted..Vatican teaching on Catholic schools–quotes to ponder
I completely agree…always a challenge. I am not speaking out of both sides of my mouth since I have blog plus Suscipio. I truly feel the time vacuum and struggle daily with how to make the best use of the internet and my time.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
Your pup is getting so big! And how blessed to have fresh eggs : )
I ponder the same thing. Yes…I feel there is a lack of communication even between adults today. When we go to our art museum class, all the moms have their heads glued to their iPhones. Unfortunately, as much as my husband and I have always tried to keep things simple, my older children feel these things are necessities. Of course, they had to wait until they had jobs and were able to purchase them themselves but there is still that attitude of *must have*. My husband and I laugh and wonder how much longer we can use our *ancient* cell phones before the phone companies no longer carry them.
Have a blessed week.
Theresa recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac
Loved your pondering in your post today. Did you know your comments are turned off on your blog?
Nice picture! I love when a cross is made on the head and not a blob or fingerprint lol.
I don’t know if I could drink cold coffee…I tried in the summer but as far as winter goes I need to warm up!
Hey Samantha! Yes…LOL!…I temporarily shut off comments. Here is my post regarding that: http://desertofmyheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/chastitymoderation-in-blogging.html
I actually warm the coffee in a pot on the stove…I can’t do iced coffee in the winter either!
God bless.
Theresa recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac
lol…must have missed that post.
Hi Theresa. I cannot stand being at a gathering with people attached to their phones: checking Facebook, playing games, reading email, etc. And we are right there with you with old phones!
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
What a wonderful gift of a weekend. I’m sure you enjoyed yourself thoroughly! Amen to the pondering, too. We are way too connected but it seems so difficult to back off
We were just discussing last night how I’d love to have chickens again. The kids hated them for some reason, but I found them quite peaceful and the eggs were delicious. Have a great week 
Laura recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac
Good Morning Laura. We had chickens a couple of years ago, but we also had some coyotes! Now the farm is mostly fenced in so we’re giving it another try.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}
All my family and friends live away….so I have facebook. I am on too much.
“Does being more connected, mean people are less connected with the people right in front of their face? Does the ability to be so connected with everyone leave any room to be connected with our Lord? And if life is constantly thought in narrative form so we can post about it, does life ever enter meditative form?”
Ah, something for me to certainly contemplate this lent. Perhaps I should try going back to some written letters and phone calls instead of this online banter that really sometimes….truth be told…carries very little substance. Thank you for sharing this.
Sometimes it feels isolating with everyone away, up here on a hill with the kids but…knowing this I should have more time for meditation.
Jenny, I appreciate your posts. I am one of the young ones (lol by only a few years. I like to tell myself I am young) but I find you girls are wonderful mentors when I don’t have many Catholic friends around.
Chris always sounds a lot like Andrew.
The lake house sounded wonderful! Nice to get away with girls.
LOVE the photo of the dog peeking too…lol…one of the kids.
have a blessed week.
Good Morning Samantha. I understand being away from family. My dad lives oversees and I guess Facebook is his main mode of communication…but it’s not mine. It’s a struggle to not keep up with him. My sister tells me he is an amazing photographer, but there is always email or phone calls or letters. I don’t think someone can limit their personal interactions to Facebook or texts. The art of conversation, the personal interaction is missing.
Jenny recently posted..Catholic Woman’s Almanac {CWA}